Hypertension is a prevalent medical condition characterized by abnormally high blood pressure in the arteries. Approximately 65 million adults in the United States are affected by hypertension. See Egan et al., 2010, JAMA 303(20): 2043-2050. The condition also affects children and teens. Clinically, hypertension is defined as a systolic pressure of 140 mm Hg or higher and a diastolic pressure of 90 mm Hg or higher. Left untreated, high blood pressure increases the risk of cardiovascular complications such as aneurysm, heart attack, heart failure, as well as renal failure.
Current treatments for hypertension include lifestyle changes as well as drug therapy. The major classes of anti-hypertensive drugs include, for example, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, β1 receptor antagonists (beta adrenergic antagonists), calcium channel blockers, and diuretics. However, a significant number of hypertensive patients are resistant and do not respond to such drugs. Accordingly, there remains a continuing need for new methods of treating hypertension.